Noah Slee

Hailing from New Zealand with Tongan ancestry, singer-songwriter Noah Slee fuses alternative R&B, soul, and indie-electronic textures into his distinctive sound. He first gained notice in the 2000s fronting Auckland reggae-funk outfit Spacifix before shifting base to Berlin, where partnerships with assorted musicians, beatmakers, and producers paved the way for his solo emergence via the 2017 album Otherland and the 2019 EP TWICE.

Born Tau Manukia, he was raised amid a sizable household and initially took the stage with his eight siblings in Polynesian floor shows that celebrated their Tongan lineage. While still in high school, he joined several peers to launch the high-energy Spacifix specifically to compete in the 2003 Smokefree Pacifica Beats contest, which the band ultimately claimed. Over the ensuing years the group pressed forward, placing the national single “Sunshine Day” from its sole 2006 album and opening for major acts including Christina Aguilara and UB40. By the close of the decade the members had relocated to Brisbane, issuing their last single there in 2011.

Once Spacifix disbanded, Manukia moved to Europe and immersed himself in Berlin’s vibrant creative community. Adopting the name Noah Slee, he shaped a style drawing on smooth soul, laid-back electronica, and experimental R&B, unveiling his debut EP, To Your Inner Hippie & Cos You Fly as Fuck, in 2016. The blend of contemporary production and vintage funk earned attention, leading to his first full-length release the following year with contributions from beatmaker Jordan Rakei and American singer Georgia Anne Muldrow. Across the next two years he maintained momentum through a series of singles such as “Reality,” “Soulflower,” and the FHAT collaboration “Do That,” before returning with the sophomore EP TWICE in late 2019.